


Crushing Hard

by PrincessDianaArtemis



Series: OTP-Tober [8]
Category: Hey Arnold!
Genre: Arnold has a Crush, Brainy Hides in the Shadows, Brainy is a Good Friend, F/M, Gerald is a Good Friend, Helga Swoons, Helga is Sweet, Ice Cream Dates, Ice Cream to Cope, Jealous Arnold, Past Helga/Stinky, Phoebe has the Only Brain Cell, Post-The Jungle Movie, Slausen's to Cope, Supportive Phoebe Heyerdahl, Swooning, pudding cup
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-08
Updated: 2020-10-08
Packaged: 2021-03-07 18:47:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,633
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26902351
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PrincessDianaArtemis/pseuds/PrincessDianaArtemis
Summary: After returning from San Lorenzo, Arnold finds himself struggling to figure out how he feels about Helga.
Relationships: Gerald Johanssen & Arnold Shortman, Gerald Johanssen & Helga Pataki, Helga Pataki & Arnold Shortman, Helga Pataki & Brainy, Helga Pataki/Arnold Shortman, Phoebe Heyerdahl & Arnold Shortman, Phoebe Heyerdahl & Helga Pataki, Phoebe Heyerdahl/Gerald Johanssen, Stinky Peterson & Sid
Series: OTP-Tober [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1948099
Comments: 4
Kudos: 32





	Crushing Hard

Returning from San Lorenzo and easing into the new normal was something that all the P.S. 118 kids, but none more than Arnold. With his parents finding their place at Sunset Arms and taking down the notches of certain members of the town - mostly Stella threatening to show Bob why she was a terror - his world was brought into a state of both chaos and peace.

The other members all promised that they wouldn’t be looking for adventure anytime soon and eased into good summer fun. 

But Arnold, ecstatic with the new changes had forgotten to adapt to one little thing - a little curling in his heart that hadn’t been addressed since the temple of the Green-Eyes. And he hadn’t thought about it until Gerald invited him for a back-to-school sundae at Slausen’s and they met up with Phoebe and Helga.

Gerald nudged him, “There’s your girl, loverboy. You have left her neglected for quite some time - you need to make things right.”

“Wha - I didn’t _neglect_ her. I - my parents and - well - ”

“Don’t stress, man,” he said with a laugh. “She liked you this far without you paying her any attention, I’m sure she’s not over you that easily.”

As they got closer, Phoebe nudged Helga and shot her a look through her glasses before smiling at Gerald. 

“Nice to see you two, this is gonna be a nice change from the crazy summer we had.”

“Yeah, sixth grade ain’t nothing after a near-death experience at the hand of evil henchmen,” said Gerald, throwing his arm around Phoebe’s shoulders. “Hey, Pataki.”

“Hey, Tall-Haired Boy,” she said, a smile quirked on her lips. “Football Head.”

Arnold blushed, “Hi, Helga.”

Phoebe and Gerald shared a look and pushed into Slausen’s with Arnold and Helga following behind.

“Your parents settled in well?” asked Helga.

“Y-yeah, sorry about your dad, though.”

“He had it coming.”

Arnold watched as Helga slid into the booth across from Phoebe and said something in Japanese that had her laughing. Gerald offered to get their orders and pulled Arnold along with him, though his eyes remained on the golden halo around Helga’s head as the sun beamed into the shop.

“You good, man?” asked Gerald, a teasing smile on his face. “You look like you just saw her for the first time.”

“Just - hadn’t had the chance to think about it all with everything going on.”

“And?”

“Just got a little more to think about.”

Gerald shot him a weird look, questioning and contemplative, then shook his head, “Whatever you say, man.”

-

The next day, first day of school and first day of sixth grade, was the first time that he tried to make that reference to the temple - grabbing her hand to walk across the street. He didn’t think much about it as she slipped out of it in sight of the rest of the student body, distracted by his parents at the doors and the warmth left on his hand.

But in class - alphabetically seated - he sat behind her and could watch her as she twirled her purple pen when she thought and tugged on a loose strand of hair that fell over her shoulder. His stomach twisted with the wish to go over and replace her fingers and touch the softness of her blonde hair.

A piece of paper hit his cheek and he turned in the direction it came from. Gerald met his confused look with a shake of his head and a mouthed ‘stop drooling’ that caused a blush to spread across Arnold’s face. 

So he turned to his work and tried to not be distracted by the golden halo of his - of Helga.

At lunch, they ended up side-by-side in the line and she shot him a small smile, a disarming smile, as she slid him a cup of chocolate pudding.

“Brings back memories, doesn’t it?” she said. “Are you and Gerald-o joining us for lunch?”

He turned his head at her so quick, he smacked her with his hair. His face dropped as her hand reached up to rub her nose where the strands had hit her and behind them, Sid and Stinky were ‘ooohing’ and preparing for her to explode.

“Sheesh, Football Head,” she said, scrunching up her nose as she continued to rub it. “I think you need a haircut - that could be seen as a deadly weapon. Invitation’s still open.”

And with a little flip of her own hair, she walked over to join Phoebe at their usual table. He stood there, stunned, and with a little heat threatening to coil in his chest.

“Gawrsh,” drawled Stinky as he and Sid flanked him. “That wasn’t a normal Miss Helga thing to do.”

Sid nodded, “Yeah, she didn’t knock your block for hitting her. She’s been acting really different since we came back from the jungle.”

“Yeah she’s been really nice - almost makes her purdy,” Stinky said.

Arnold’s head tilted up at him, eyes narrowed, and the boy continued without noticing the flash of green eyes honed in on him.

“Call me crazy, Sid,” he said, rubbing his temples in thought. “But I think I should try to get her to be my girlfriend again.”

“Wasn’t that a lie though,” asked Sid. “And what happened to Gloria?”

The two continued to talk around Arnold, but he’d tuned them out as he found himself distracted once again by the sunlight crowning Helga at her table. Gerald had already joined them and was bickering with her while Phoebe tried to keep the peace. 

Helga met his stare and gave him a smile, wide and uninhibited that sped his heartbeat and forced his feet forward, and tripped when the rubber of his feet caught on the floor. Stinky caught him before he fell on his face.

“Are you alright, Arnold? You look mighty flushed, did you catch a jungle bug?”

Arnold pushed away from him, “No, Stinky, I’m fine. Thanks for the save I - I gotta go.”

He was more careful as he made his way across the room to the table, knees wobbling when Helga’s smirk twisted up at him.

“Took you long enough, Football Head,” she said. “Help me tell Gerald how _wrong_ he is.”

The bickering continued, but he had no attention for it as his dreamy gaze focused on Helga and stayed there until his mashed potatoes ran cold and so did the ice-cold realization as it hit him.

 _Oh, no_.

-

Gerald found Arnold’s plight hilarious, watching as he paced the length of his bedroom with an amused smile.

“Arnold, my man,” said Gerald, reclining on the couch. “You kissed the girl - not to mention all the other kisses you guys have had - of _course_ you have a crush on her. Question is: how long is this gonna last, because you tend to have a different one every month.”

“This is different, Gerald…she - she likes me too,” Arnold said, stopping mid-stride. “And - and she’s so amazing. She fought La Sombra with us and risked something she loved to save my parents and I never noticed just how - ”

“Mmm-mmm-mmmmh. You’ve got it bad. Weird, but bad.”

For the next few days, Arnold found himself making a fool of himself in front of Helga and instead of jumping at the chance to tease him, she would smile and help him out of his awkward situation, snarling at whoever tried to make a comment before stepping away. 

Every touch and smile made him feel like he was floating, but she was still quiet and distant and he wanted more.

He wanted the girl from San Lorenzo.

It wasn’t until the browning leaves had all but taken over Hillwood that Helga cornered him.

“Alright, Arnold, what gives,” she said after pulling him into an empty alley on his way home. Her arms were crossed loosely against her chest. “You’ve been acting weird. And even Gerald won’t tell me what’s wrong with you. So talk.”

Arnold blushed, “I - There’s nothing wrong, Helga. I’m glad you’re worried, but you - there’s nothing - ”

Helga’s eyes narrowed, sweeping over him, then widened until the sparkles in her blue-eyes were shining bright.

“Oh. _Oh_ , _Arnold_ ,” she said, no, swooned as she fell into his arms. “My sweet prince, you’ve fallen for me the way you have before for all those other, unworthy women, _oh_.”

Arnold blushed and shook her a little bit, bringing her back to reality, “Um, Helga, are _you_ okay?”

She was blushing brightly on her fair skin, grip tightening around his neck, “You - you really like me back?”

“Uh…yeah,” he said. “I mean, if it’s not too weird. I mean - we can act like it’s not - ”

“No, Arnold, please,” she said. “Please don’t act like it hasn’t happened but - we need to keep this quiet just us - and our best friends - oh, and Brainy.”

“Brainy?”

Helga tilted her chin towards the darkened corners of the alley where Brainy was now emerging, waving a timid hand at Arnold when the boy glared at him.

“Yeah, he’s my constant, my plus one, you understand, right?”

“I guess,” Arnold said, huffy. “So…does this mean we’re - ”

She shook her head, “Friends, we’re not calling it anything else until we’re ready. Good friends, is that okay?”

Arnold nodded, beaming, “Good friends. Yeah, I like that.”

They straightened themselves up, Brainy joining them as they emerged from the darkened corners and made their way back towards the main street.

“Slausen’s, on me, alright?”

Helga smiled, “Sounds like a date to me, Football Head. Good thing we have Brainy with us.”

Brainy gave them a little smile as the other two gave a loud laugh and threw an arm around him and dragged him towards the ice cream shop to enjoy the last days of warmth before the cold days arrived. 


End file.
